Folding crate.



No. 879,855. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908. C. W., E. L. z M. D. GRONBAUGH. FOLDING CRATE.

l APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1907.

' simple and UNITED STATEs ra'rn erario.

CHARLES W. CRONBAUGH, EDWARD CRONBAUGH, AND MILO D. CRONB.-\.Utl;l, O1 ADA,

OHIO. v

FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that we, CHARLES W. CRON- BAUGH, EDWARD L. CRONBAUGH, and MiLo D. ORONBAUGH, citizens of the United States, residing at Ada, in the county of Hardin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to improvements in folding crates and similar containants, and it consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a ractical device of this character which may Ibe produced at a comparatively small cost and which will be very effective in accomplishing` its purpose. n

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding crate which may be quickly and `easily set up for use or folded together so as to occupy but little space, and which wheny set up for use will be exceedingly strong and rigid.

' The above and other objects are accomplished b y the improved construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved crate, and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section.

The present embodiment of our invention is in the form of a rectangular crate having sides 1, 2 and ends 3, 4 pivoted` together so that they may be folded in substantially parallel relation. Both the sides and the ends are formed of parallel slats or bars, and they are connected by vertical pivot rods 5 which have their projecting ends bent inwardly over the inner edges of the outermost slats or bars 6 of the ends 3, 4 so as to provide longitudinal-extending runners 7 upon which the crate is supported and upon which it may be readily slid over tom of a wagon 0r the like. By bending the ends 7 of 4the pivot rods in the manner shown, the. connection between the sides and ends of the crate is also materially strengthencd.

'.lhe crate also consists of a bottom S and a top il. These parts are similar in construction, and hence interchangeable so that either may be considered the top or the a floor, the botj Each consists of paradjacent to bottom of the crate. allel, longitudinal slats 10 united one end by a cross-bar 11 and adjacent to the other end by a cross-bar 12. The latter is of less length than the former and of slightly less length than the space between the outermost bars or slats of the sides 1.7 2 so that it may pass between the sides and under one of the bars 6 of one of the ends, as presently explained. This end cross-bar 12 is also of less thickness than the cross-bar 11 so that by springing inwardly the adjacent ends of the slats 10 it may be passed under the end bar or slat 6. An intermediate cross-bar 13 also-unites the slats 1() and is arranged adjacent to the cross-bar12. This cross-bar 13 is similar to the cross-bar 11 and is of such length that its ends project beyond the outermost slats 10 and engage the edges of the sides of the crate. The end cross-bars 117 A12 are so spaced apart that they engage the inner edges of the end bars or slats G of the ends 3, 4f and thereby prevent the crate from collapsing when its top and bottom are in the position shown in the drawings.

The operation of the crate is as follows: When it is desired to open the crate, that is,

remove its top 9, the end cross-bar 12 is pressed downwardly until it may be slid under the adjacent bar 6, the downward movement of the cross-bar 1 2 being permitted by the s ring or resiliency of the adjacent ends of tlie slats 10, as will be readily seen upon reference to' Fig. 2 in which the dotted lines A re resent the bar 12 and the adjacent ends of) the slats sprung downwardly. When in this position, the cover 9 may be slid longitudinally to disengage the opposite ends of the slats 1.0 from the crossbar 6 at the opposite end of the crate. When f.

said ends of the slats 10 are thus disengaged, the end of vthe .top containing the cross-bar 11 may be lifted to the dotted lined position B shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the top may be entirely removed by drawing its opposite end, containing the cross-bar 12, from between the uppermost bars of the end e of the crate. The bottom S may be removed in a similar manner.. When both the top and bottom of the crate are removed it may be readily folded by pressing its two sides together. lVhen it is desired to apply the cover to the crate the operation above described is reversed. The two cross-bars 11, l2 effectively hold the slats- 10 within the llO sides of the crate and crossb 11, in l of'theirflendslshortrcoss ber 12 and connection with the cross-bar v12, locks the slats 10 againstendwise movement and, at the same time, prevents the sides and 'ends of the crate from folding together and hence holds the letter rigidly in its open position.

Ijlaving thus described our said invention, what we-claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is 4 Theherein described folding crate com-` prisin sides and ends formed by parallel slats avin their ends over lapping' and formed witn 4vertically slining apertures,

pivot rods passed through said alining apertures in the over lapping ends ofthe slats and having their projecting ends bent inwardly inv a longitudinal direction to provide runn ers for the. crate, and removable top and bottom sections each consisting of longitu- 2o` dinal `resilient slats Yunited adjacent to one adjacent to their opposite ends by the long cross -bar 11 and at a point between the1r centers and `the short cross bar 12bythe `longcross bar 13, wherebythe portions of theV resilient slats of said top and bottom sections between said cross bars 12, 13 may be sprung inwardly to perinit'said `sections to be moved longitudinally and tilted, substantially Aas` described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aliX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. CRONBAUGH." EDWARD L. oRoNBAUGHf. MILO D.' CRONBAUGH.

Witnesses: f J JOHN W. MoRRoW, BURR'B. HARDING.' 

